65 / 114
DECEMBER, 1913]
The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.
61
members of a former outgoing Council had
done the very thing that was objected to by
Sir George Roche.
The statement was challenged by Sir
George Roche and Sir Augustine Baker.
THE PRESIDENT said that if Mr. Brady
had no evidence on the subject he should not
make such a statement. He (the President)
never heard of such' a circular.
MR. BRADY, proceeding, said the only
reason he referred to the matter was to show
that after all there was not very much in this
question of sending out circulars. It was a
matter of taste. He thought every member
should pay at least £1 per annum to the
Society.
As regarded the report of the Statutory
Committee, he thought it redounded to the
honour and credit of the solicitors' profession
of Ireland that the vast majority of the com
plaints that had been made against solicitors
turned out to be bogus.
MR. R. A. MACNAMARA said he thought
the
country
solicitors were
very well
represented on the Council.
The speaker,
dealing with the new rule with reference to
sittings and vacations, said that under that
rule the dates of the commencement and
termination of the sittings in 1914 would be
as follows :—Hilary, llth January to 2nd
April ;
Easter, 16th April to 20th May;
Trinity, 3rd June to 31st July ; and Michael
mas, from 25th October to 21st December.
The Report did not mention that the Council
had also endeavoured to have the Long
Vacation shortened and brought into con
formity with the system in England. For
some reason or another they were not able
to carry that through, but he hoped the new
Council would take up the question. This
was a question in which the public should
assist them, as it was really of more im
portance to the client than the solicitor to
have the Long Vacation shortened. Very
often cases were hampered and delayed by
the Long Vacation (hear, hear).
MR. CRAIG concurred with Mr. Mac-
.namara as regards the suggestion with respect
to the shortening of the Long Vacation. He
suggested that the Assizes might go out at
the end instead of at the beginning of the
Long Vacation, as an arrangement which
might meet the case to a large extent.
MR. LLOYD-BLOOD said that before he
left the Council he introduced this subject
for consideration, ard met with a very hearty
reception, and he hoped it would continue to
receive attention. He knew that there was a
very strong feeling amongst the members of
the Bar in favour of shortening the Long
Vacation (hear, hear). He never heard of the
circular to which Mr. Brady had referred.
MR. HENRY SHANNON said he desired
to congratulate Mr. Cussen and the other new
members of the Council, and he wished them
every success in the coming year. Twelve
months ago he stood in the position of Mr.
Cussen. He was sent up as a representative
from Tipperary, and he was elected on the
Council. He attended the meetings of the
Council as far as he could during the past
twelve months, and from all he could see
country interests came before any other
interests. The Council always gave every
consideration to anything that concerned the
welfare of country practitioners (hear, hear).
He was agreeably surprised to find that, and
he also gradually learned to appreciate the
many difficulties the Council had to contend
with—difficulties which an ordinary member
of the profession could not possibly realise.
He thought it was a poor compliment to pay
to country practitioners to say that they
should be cut down to a subscription of 10s.,
or to say that they would not be able to
afford the full subscription.
It was not
sufficient to support the County Bar and
Sessional Associations.
They must also
support this Society and give it the support
to which it was entitled.
THE PRESIDENT
said
that
before
putting the motion he would like to correct
Mr. Brady in one
particular,
that was
with reference to their exertions in promoting
the County Courts Bill.
It was on the 29th
May
they gave up all hope of getting
anything done in the House of Commons,
in consequence of the statement made by Mr.
Russell for the Chief Secretary. They acted
promptly, and in June applied for a con
ference with the County Court Judges. To
bring about such a conference they had to
apply to the Lord Chancellor. They were not
responsible for any delay. First the June
Sessions came,
then Vacation, and then
Michaelmas Sessions.
The conference took